Refrigerator car gutter arrangement



Jan. 16, 1940. l v, E WEST 2,187,290

REFRIGERATOR CAR GUTTER ARRANGEHNT Filed June lO, 1938 Pfg. 1

i I 3 fm/norf 1 l//cor t". We#

Afro/neg Patented Jan.716,\l94

ff iRErRIGEA'roR CAR GLUTT4 R q ,ARRANGEMENT i Victor West, New lriensingtonyla., assigner to `Standard vRailway, Equipment Manufacturing q Company,A Chicago, Ill.; acm-porationoi'` Delai y `Aliplicanimi June 10,1938, seriaxVNdziaoes l jeclaims. (Grtz-47T) "i ,The `invention relates to refrigerator "cars `and more particularly to cars having the refrigerat# ing means adjacent the topyof the car. Refrigerator cars are used to transport perishable `corn- :"1 ,modities and are insulated against" outside temperatures` and have` a refrlgerating eineans for use'in summer and a heating means for use in winter. Means is also provided for the circulation of air'to the lading from said heating `and' refrigerating means. i

` In a top bunker car, which is the name` usually applied; to a car having refrigerant containers i adjacent` the ceiling,there is a] drip ,panz supi ported `on an insulated partition below each containerzl` These partitions serve two i purposes:

they catch and drain the melted refrigerantand theydirect thecirculating airin `the intended i direction. There are associated with the" walls vertical flues leading `downwardly from the passages just above said partitions. The meltedice and` the circulating air `flow` through these flues `from the refrigerant containers to the floor of tliefcar where means are provided for draining the Water to the outside of they car. "The ,air ,then rises through the oorrack to the lading compartment.

erant provides `very good insulation for `the sides oflthe car,` as it flows `through the flue's. It is anobject o`f vthisinvention to placethe gutter in the longitudinal center ofthe iioor, thus using the liquid as a further insulation, as it llows over the floor from adjacent the Wallsto `the `center i,

of,` the car. i

thewarm air from the lading compartmentf reaches the refrigerant containers, the air is cooled by the heat absorbedin the meltingof the refrigerant. i When the air leaves the `refrig-` erant containers `it is still at a considerably higher temperature than the `melted `refrigerant which accompanies it on its flow over the parti-` tions and ,down the flues. The air `is further cooledyby this contact with the liquid but `very frequently it is Warmer than the liquid when it reachesthe oorof the carglt is a further object 4of "this invention, `by placing the gutter `at the longitudinalk center of the floor, to *lower the `temperature of the car `byfallowing the air to beiurther cooledby contact with the liquid as the' liquid ows to the centrally locatedfgutter. ""It is a further object of the invention to position the stringers transversely of` the car, thus keepinglthe melted refrigerant uniformly dis-` tributed over. the :door andconsequently impro'vf 1 i Tue cold liquid fcrmedby, th mening refrig q proof.

tectlc ice.

ing theabovementioned insulating and refrigeratingeffects,`

Another `object of the'invention is toslope i the floor downwardly toward the gutter, thereby facilitating the ow of liquid on occasions when,` i

the car is not level.

It is a" further object of the invention to; re

ducethe number of gutters required, thereby reV `ducing the initial cost, possibilities of leaks and A the trouble caused byy freezing and clogging ofuy` drains. q q

In the drawing:

car. q q l Fig. 2 is a section on line `2-2of F'ig.` l.

The usual parts of 2 ad refrigerator car` are j' shown, such as center sill 2; side sills 3; `cross l members (bolster cross-bearer or cross tie) 4; a floor structure comprising sub-rloor; stringere .6; oor 1; and insulation l5;` Walls comprising `20 sheathing `8; `lining 9 and insulation l5; side i i l plate lIJ,`a`roo`f` structure comprising outside `roof` H; ceiling I2` and insulation "15;ice containers I3` and hatches i4. Insulated partitions 2B are positioned below `and spaced from each iceccn- ,g5 tainer I3an`d are provided with drip pans on the upper 'surface thereof, otherwise made Water- Flues 2l lead from, the passages` 22 'between the partitions 2D and ice containers i3 to i adjacent the Hoor 1,

a corrugated perforated' sheet 25. The sheets;

`24-25 `being ,supported above the floor l' by transversely extending stringers 26" to provide a space 21adjacentthe floor. q q

, ,Agutter 35` depressed below the top surface ff `of the oor l is positioned at the center of the car and vextends longitudinally thereofj'The oor lis arranged to slope downwardly toward'ig, y

`the gutter `35. The gutter is to be provided with 4Q a'sufcient numberof water sealed drains 36 to drain `the contents of `the gutter to outside the car; i

The construction shown `herewith is'lntended,

to be,l used When thereirigerant is one that be- 45 comes liquid upon absorbing heat. Examples of this type ofrefrigerantare Water ice,` Water ice mixedwlthsalt andffrozen brine known aseu-l` AThe vair `circulation trated is from the lading compartmentrlll, 'up-J` wardly through the duct 4l and through the ice y containers I3 iwhere heat is absorbed by4 the meltingrefrigerant. `The cooled air thenflows ndfotvnvvardlythrough the ilues 42l "and into-the Fig.` vl isa transverse section oi a refrigeration j `The oor rack 23 comprises "30 `aflatperforated `sheet 24 preferably Welded to;

in the `type of car `illus-uid space 2'! from whence it rises through the holes 1in `the perforated plates 2li- 25 to the lading compartment 40.

The melted ice falls through the foraminous walls of the refrigerant containers i3 onto the partitions 26, ows down the flues 2l to the floor of the car., and flows over the sloping floor 'l tothe gutter 35 from where it is drained to outside the car.

The air, as it leaves the ice chambers I3, is at a temperature considerably higherthan that of l the melted ice. Some heat is transferred as .the air and liquid flow downwardly through the iiues 2| but there is still a a-temperature differ- `ential when they reach the bottom'. In the conventional car the gutters are-placedimmediatel ly belowl the flues 2l, therefore, any additional ,'refrigerating effect remaining in the liquid when it reaches the bottom of the flues 2l is lost. When the gutter is at the center of the car the air remains in contact with the liquid longer and, therefore, may absorb additional refrigeration before the liquid is ydrained Vfrom the car. Another advantage in having the liquid flow over the floor l' is that the `liquid provides additional insulation on the floor and reduces heat ow from the atmospherey to the insideY of the car.

The products shipped in refrigerator `cars are often loaded in containers in which the products are marketed. It is, therefore, important that they are not soiled during transit. v vIn the type of car shown, it is possible that liquid might be 'splashed from the gutter 35 through the openings in the foraminous floor 23, thus soiling'the lading. To prevent this means di are provided. The means i2 might comprise, for example, baffle plates secured to the stringers Zlabove the gutter 35 but not in contact with thef'foraminous floor 23 so as not'to restrict air iiow through the foraminous iioor 23.

The floor rack stringers 25 vextend'transversely of the car. In addition to providing a free path for the circulation of air from the ues 2l this arrangement providesgbafiles to prevent the' accumulation of liquid andecold air at one end of the car due to the inertia of air and liquid when the car is in motion. Having the cold air in the space 2l at one end ofthe car is undesirable because the opposite end would have a Vdeficiency of vmote from the fiue 2l to allow the air to remain in contact with the liquid for a longer time is included within the scope of the invention` Reference is herein made under rule 43 to my copending applications in which are disclosed certain'constructions disclosed and claimed in this application. f

r The accompanying drawing lillustrates vthe preferred form ofthe invention, though it is to v beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the exact details ofconstruction shown vand described,l as it is obvious that various modifications there'of--within thel scope of the claimswill occur to persons skilledin the art.

I claim: 'n y j `1. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an 'insulated roof', an 'insulated licor, and a foraminous door spaced above the insulated floor to provide a space therebetween, in combination with an ice container near said roof and adjacent one of said walls, an insulated partitionr below said container and spaced therefrom; to provide a substantially horizontal passage therebetween, a vertical flue associated with one of said walls and communicating between ,said passage and said space and a longitudinally extendingvgutter substantially at the center` of the car and depressed below the top surface of said insulated floor, whereby melted ice from said container flows through said passage, ue and space into said gutter to further insulate said walls and floor.

v2. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof, an insulated floor, and a foraminous floor spaced above the insulated floor to provide a space therebetween, .in combination with an ice container near said roof and adjacent one of said walls, an insulated partition below said container and spaced therefrom to provide a substantially horizontal passage therebetween, a vertical flue associated with one of said walls and communicating between said passage and said space and a longitudinally extending gutter substantially at the center of thecar and depressed below the top surface of said insulated floor, said insulated iioor sloping downwardly toward said gutter, whereby melted ice from said container flows through said passage, ilue and space into said gutter to further insulate said walls and floor.

3. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an'insulated roof, an insulated door, and a foraminous floor spaced above the insulated floor to provide a space therebetween, in combination with an ice container near said roof and adjacent one of said walls, an insulated partition below said container and spaced therefrom to provide a substantially horizontal passage therebetween, a vertical ue associated with one of said walls and communicating between said passage and said space and a longitudinally extending gutter Isubstantially at the center of the car and depressed below the top surface of said insulated floor, said gutter being lprovided with a water sealed drain leading to outside lthe car, whereby melted ice from said container flows through said passage,.ue and space into said gutter to further insulate said walls and floor.'A

4. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof, an insulated ers resting upon said floor to provide a space therebetween, in combination with an ice container near saidroof and adjacent one of said walls, an insulated partition below said con--y tainer and spaced therefrom to provide a substantially horizontal passage therebetween, a vertical viiue associated with one of said Walls and communicating between said passage and said space` and a longitudinally extending gutter substantially at the center of the car and depressed below the top surface of said insulated floor, whereby melted ice from said container flows throughsaid passage, flue and space into said gutter to further insulate said walls and floor,.and whereby said transversely Yextending stringers tend to keep said melted ice uniformly distributed upon said floor.

5. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof, an insulated floor, and a foraminous floor spaced above the insulated floor `to provide a space therebetween,

in combinatioi'iwith` an ice container near said v roof and adjacent one of said wa11`s,`an insulated partition below said container and spaced therefrom to provide a substantially `horizontal pasv` sage therebetween, a vertical fiue associated with one of said walls and communicating between said passage and said space and `a `longitudinally `extending gutter remote from said iiue and depressed below the top surface of said insulated floor, whereby melted .ice from said fcontainer r l insulated walls, van insulated roof, an insulated ioor, and a foraminous-oor spaced abovethe f l and floor.

in combination with an ice containernear said roof and adjacentV one of said walls, an insulated insulated floor toprovide a space therebetween,

partition below said container and spaced there- V from to provide a `substantially horizontal passage therebetween, a vertical flue associated with one of said walls and `communicating between said passage and said space, a longitudinally extending gutter substantially at the center of the l car and disposed below the top surface of said insulated floor, and means to preventliquid splashing from said gutter through said foraminous lfloor, whereby melted ice from said con` tainer ilows` through said passage, flue and space into said gutter to further insulate said walls VICTOR. E. WEST. 

